1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical scanning systems and, in particular, to an optical scanning system (and method) that receives inputs from a user by scanning a movable device, determining a position of the movable device, and correlating the position of the movable device with a particular character.
2. Related Art
An optical scanner is a well-known device that scans a surface of a document and produces digital data defining an image of the scanned surface. Although optical scanners of various sizes exist in the art, it is often desirable to minimize the size of the optical scanner to increase the scanner""s portability. In fact, some optical scanners are small, hand-held devices that can be easily transported to scan documents at various locations and events. Such an optical scanner is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,044, entitled xe2x80x9cFreehand Image Scanning Device which Compensates for Non-Linear Color Movementxe2x80x9d and filed on Feb. 25, 1997, by Allen et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.
Furthermore, in many applications, it may be desirable to input text, such as alphanumeric or other types of characters, into an optical scanner. For example, it may desirable to annotate a scanned image by entering textual data into the optical scanner and correlating the textual data with the scanned image. Alternatively, it may be desirable to transmit data from an optical scanner via an e-mail and/or a facsimile message. Therefore, an e-mail address and/or a telephone number may need to be entered into the optical scanner. There are numerous other applications in which it may be desirable to input text into an optical scanner.
To allow a user to input text into an optical scanner, the optical scanner may be equipped with a keypad. However, a keypad usually increases the size and cost of the scanner, especially when the keypad includes a sufficient number of keys or buttons for inputting alphabetical characters. Therefore, in some applications, a keypad may not be suitable for entering text into an optical scanner, particularly when the scanner is a portable, hand-held device of a relatively small size.
Some optical scanners include a liquid crystal display (LCD) to interface data with a user. This LCD may be used to display a simulated keypad. In other words, the LCD may display various characters, and the user may scroll through the displayed characters and incrementally select each of the characters needed to form a word or words to be entered into the scanner. However, the foregoing process is relatively slow and tedious. Furthermore, as the size of optical scanners is reduced, it becomes increasingly difficult to adequately display the characters on the LCD. Therefore, utilization of a simulated keypad display on an LCD of an optical scanner may be undesirable in many applications.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry for a system enabling a user to efficiently input text into an optical scanner, particularly when the optical scanner is of a relatively small size.
The present invention overcomes the inadequacies and deficiencies of the prior art as discussed hereinbefore. Generally, the present invention provides an optical scanning system that enables a user to input characters into the system by sliding a movable device to different positions and activating a scan of the movable device at the different positions.
In architecture, the optical scanning system of the present invention includes an imaging sensor that receives light and defines digital data based on the received light. A data manager stores this digital data into a storage device. The imaging sensor is coupled to a housing unit, which is also detachably coupled to a member that has a surface exposed to the imaging sensor. A movable device is disposed between the imaging sensor and the surface of the member. A user moves the movable device into a position that corresponds with a particular character. Then, the imaging sensor produces a set of digital data defining an image of the movable device. An image analyzer analyzes the set of digital data and identifies a character based on a position of the movable device within the image.
The present invention can also be viewed as providing an optical scanning method for receiving inputs from a user. The method can be broadly conceptualized by the following steps: providing a scanning device, the scanning device having an imaging sensor; receiving an image of a document via the imaging sensor; defining the image in data; positioning an indicator such that the indicator is visible to the imaging sensor; receiving an image of the indicator via the imaging sensor; defining the image of the indicator in data; analyzing the data of the image of the indicator; determining a position of the indicator based on the analyzing step; and identifying a character based on the determining step.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such features and advantages be included herein within the scope of the present invention and protected by the claims.